Job Interview Strategies And Tips

11 Best Job Interview Strategies

These are the top 11 best job interview strategies to follow if you want to win your next interview and get the job offer.

Interviews are not difficult if you take the trouble to do a little preparation beforehand and the truth is that the interviewer actually wants you to do well because it makes her job a lot easier. Job interviews are not that bad, so long as you are prepared.

Most job interviews are usually preceded by the evaluation of CVs submitted by candidates who have applied for a particular job role; recruiters/employers usually invite the best of these candidates to interview.

This step is considered an entrenched part of the hiring process and considered the key step for deciding which candidate is best suited for a particular position. They are still the most common, and the most heavily weighted, pre-employment assessment tool and are your opportunity to show employers why they should hire you and not somebody else.

The eleven strategies I've laid out below, won't take a lot of preparing for because they are mostly just good commonsense, but too many people seem to insist on 'winging it' which is not a very good interview strategy.

Most of all, there is every reason to succeed because the hiring organization has already told you what it wants either in the 'help wanted' ad or in the job description package they send out to applicants.

1. Study the company

One of the best job interview strategies that most candidates ignore is to study the current events of the company. Knowing what the current events of the company is important so that you can ask pertinent questions. Doing so will show the interviewer that you have done your homework, and also have a genuine interest in the company. This strategy will definitely help your job interview.

2. Know your resume

As a candidate, you should be very familiar with your CV or resume. In any job interview, anything on your resume is at the interviewer's disposal. Implementing these job interview strategies will help build credibility with your interviewer. It is your responsibility to convince the interviewer that you can come in and do the job. Speaking intelligently about each of your previous positions will help do this, and is one of the best job interviewing tips to follow. Check these Resume Templates

3. Prepare an interview emergency toolkit

Many candidates don't properly prepare for a job interview. Getting together a "job interview kit" is a great job interview strategy to follow. Suggested items for the kit include extra copies of your resume, directions to the office, a bottle of water, eye drops, pens, and notepad. But you should only bring the extra copies of your resume into the office with you, preferably in a portfolio.

To help you with your administration, there is a free, printable version of the pre-interview checklist and interview toolkit available here.

4. Study job description

After landing an interview, you need to study the job description to truly understand what the interviewer is looking for. If the description calls for attentiveness to detail, you will want to tailor the discussion accordingly. Knowing this, you can navigate the interview and discuss examples from previous jobs that will exemplify this trait. Do this for all significant traits or qualities that you identify in the job description. This is one of the best job interview strategies and preparation techniques I have used, and know that it can bring you success. Learn more about the importance of your Job Description

5. Build rapport

You know the saying, "There's never a second chance to make a first impression?" That holds very true in the case of job interviews. That is why building rapport is such an important job interview strategy. Shake hands, make eye contact, and smile. Put those three together when you first meet your interviewer and it will set a positive tone for the rest of the interview.

6. Make eye contact

Making positive eye contact is one of the best job interview strategies to follow. Eye contact is one of the strongest forms of nonverbal communication. A person's qualities and personality can be detected simply based on eye contact. Making direct eye contact communicates confidence and high self-esteem, two key qualities employers look for in candidates.

Thus, it is very important that you make eye contact when you first meet interviewer and shake hands. And during the interview, it is important to make eye contact, not only when you talk, but also as you listen. Simply doing this job interview strategy will greatly help your chances of success in an interview. Click for more great interview tips.

7. Body language

Just as eye contact speaks volumes about you, so does your body language. Proper body language conveys confidence and high self-esteem. During the interview, things like sitting up straight with your chest out and keeping a pleasant demeanor on your face will project confidence. The interviewer will be aware of this, and it will help you stand out in his/her mind. Read these interview body language tips.

8. Prepare for the most common interview questions

An interview should be a 2-way conversation, so you must both talk and listen. Find some way to make the interviewer remember you as an individual who interacts with others. Listen closely to the answers to your interview questions and be equally attentive to the questions that you are asked.

If you’re unsure on any of the interview questions, don't be afraid to ask for clarification, but don't waste time. Be specific with your answers and relate each answer to the job you are seeking. It’s best to prepare answers to the common questions that you will almost certainly be asked Top 50 questions

The interviewer can't read your mind, so prepare to make your own case. Think about how to present your skills as benefits and be ready with your answers to interview questions

In my experience some interviewers don’t allow enough time to prepare and you use these job interview strategies to turn this to your advantage - you can be better prepared than your interviewer

If you both fail to prepare, you’ve both wasted your time. If you make sure you’re ready, it can be a terrific interview.

9. Display your skills with concrete examples

When it comes to discussing their skills, many candidates make the mistake of "telling" instead of "showing." One of the best job interview strategies is to use concrete examples to demonstrate their skills to the interviewer. For example, if one of your skills is successfully handling multiple tasks at once, providing an example of how you do that will help paint a picture for the interviewer. It also gives the interviewer something to "hold on to" once the interview is over, and helps him/her remember you when it comes to decision time. Get more insights into the different ways that your work skills help your career.

10. Be yourself

A common mistake that many candidates make is not being themselves. Some feel that they need to fit a certain mold and act accordingly. This will only end up hurting both parties in the end when your "true" personality comes out. You will be surprised how easy it is to detect insincerity during an interview. Thus, it is important to be professional, but also maintain your true essence. When you do this, your sincerity and genuineness will be picked up by the interviewer. This is one of the best job interview strategies to implement, and will go a long way in determining your success. Learn how to present your personal attributes in the most effective way.

11. Follow up quickly

After the job interview, send a thank you note to the interview. These days, an email is fine, but traditionally a handwritten card is sent. Whatever method you choose, do it promptly after the interview. The correspondence should be sent the next day after the interview. Many hiring decisions are made quickly these days, so timeliness is very important.

You now have 11 of the best job interview strategies to follow. There are many aspects of a successful job interview, but if you implement these 11 best job interview strategies listed above, your chances of success will skyrocket!

Interviews

Interviews should not place undue pressure on interviewees, because people tend to withdraw and become defensive under pressure. Interviews are designed to assess whether you, the candidate, can do the job at hand, whether you'll spring into action once on the job, and whether you fit with the company's culture and management team.

• The benefits of a panel approach to interviewing include: time savings over serial interviewing, more focused interviews as there is often less time spent trying to build rapport with small talk, and direct comparison because each interviewer hears the same answers to the same questions.

• Telephone Interviews may take place if a recruiter wishes to dwindle down the number of prospective candidates before deciding on a shortlist for face-to-face interviews.

• Multiple rounds of job interviews may be used where there are many candidates in competition or the job in question is particularly challenging or desirable.

• Most job interviews start with chit-chat type of questions, these are designed to break the ice and get the conversation flowing. The other half is dedicated to figuring out whether the applicant is good or not.

Interviewer

Interviewers want people who will make things happen and introduce positive change, but at the same time who can preserve the good things and avoid problematical fall-out. Interviewers, being human, are naturally biased and thus discriminatory, whether explicitly or not. They will usually engage in simple pleasantries and ask about your journey but be positive, because they may want to ensure you can get to work regularly and on time.

• In screening interviews, many interviewers will spend more time describing their opportunities than asking you specific questions.

• To help you feel at ease, a practical interviewer might ask 'common-ground' questions about shared interests or acquaintances, or your travel to the job interview.

Employer

Employers are looking for the answer to just 4 questions:

• does the job-seeker have the skills and abilities to perform the job;

• does the candidate possess the enthusiasm and work ethic that the employer expects;

• will the job-seeker be a team player and fit into the organization and lastly

• will the candidate work for the salary the employer wants to pay.

Once all candidates have been interviewed, the employer typically selects the most desirable candidate and begins the negotiation of a job offer.

Candidate

Candidates should generally dress appropriately, i.e. slightly better than they would for work, with an interview suit or other clothes being appropriate for the job interview. Job interviews are not just limited to the typical face-to-face dialogue inside a conference room at an office. White collar candidates may also be asked to deliver a presentation as part of their job interviews and assessment process. Sooner or later, the interview invitation is going to say you are required to give a presentation as part of the job interviews. So your interview presentation skills will be put to the test. And like most people you may dread having to do it. You may think that you cannot speak publicly because of nervousness but all good speakers are nervous, and you can overcome those nerves.

What you can do is control those nerves and make them work for you rather than against you. This page explains that there are several job interview strategies for doing this which you should be aware of and can master easily.

Return to the Interview Help center, and get all your interview questions answered. You should also be thinking about how to Dress for success and manage the visual impression you make when they first meet you.

Return to: Your Career Change home page for more information.